Section switch



N. J. A. WAHLBERG.

SECTION SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. I918- Parented Mar. 28, 1922.

INVENTOR fl/ZiJ/Z Wail/berg.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY stares NILS J. A. WAHLBERG, (FF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VJ'ESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC 8c MANUFACTURING COIYTPANY, A CORPORATION G35 PENNSYLVANIA.

SECTION SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Pa tgnt gd Blair; 28,1922

Application filed January 5, 19 18. Serial No. 210,521.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that 1' Nuts J. 'A Hurricane, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a I new and useful Improvement 1 in Section Switches, of which the following isa specification. 1 a

- My invention relates to section switches and particularly" to such switches as are adapted'ior use in mines orsimilar places of restricted or irregular over head character. One ob ect of my invention asto provide a switch of the above indicated character tion, and that may be readily mountedod :2

structure.

that shallbe simple and durable in construe-- mine roof regardless of certain irregularities therein; 1. V, i I Another object of'my invention is to provide a switch that permits the "operating vportion thereof to'be readily changed from one side of themain body portion of the same to the other. v Y f I l A further object of my invention isto provide means for so distributing the stresses imposed on the insulatingbody portions of such switches as to minimize the amount oi wear and the likelihood of fracture thereof.

In the prior art, section switches have been used that have been attached to mine roofs by centrally disposedlugs and that, to install, required turning of the entire switch Very often, overhead conditions are such as to make this an exceedingly difficult or impossible operation. Also, when it "was desiredto mount such a switch by a lug at each end thereof, difficulty was often en countered in drilling the mine roof for the reception of co-operating suspension studs at the exact positions desired.

Further, it was frequently necessary to carry a stock of switches operable from opposite sides to meet certain service requirements', and the wear caused to the insulating body portions of some section switches by stres'sesimparted through certain bolts there in, was an objectionable feature;

"In practicing my invention, I provide a switch that, by the use of simple interchangeable parts, may be readily adapted to various requirements, such as center or end sustious manner,

invention; Fig. 2'isa bottomplan view of pension; maybe operated from one side or r the other; may be'mounted at substantially any desired location in a simple andexpedind maymore evenlydistribute certain stresses th.erein.,- i

' Figure 1 of the accompanying"drawings is a side view of a section switch embodying my 7 the switch shown in 1, and side view of a modified form oi :switch embodying my invention. a i Sets of bolts 31and l securelongitudinally aligned terminal members 1 and 2 havingan air gap 6 therebetwcen to the lower edge or face or a main body member? of insulating material, such as wood.

Screws Ssecure conductors'l', comprising endsof two sections of an electric linefthat it may be desiredto separate, to the terminal members'l and 2wh1ch alsoexten d upwardly conducting straps 9 of coppeijorothermetal,

along the top of the member 5, thus lending 1 along the ends of the membero. The bolts,

mechanical. rigidity to the structure and .in-

suring a good electricalpath vfrom the conductors 7 to a knifeblade switch 11. I

The switch 11 comprises a laterally-extending pivot terminal 12, a' blade member 13,21,

laterally-extending jaw'terminal 14 and 21.

handle 15. The bolts 1 rigidly secure the inner end of each of the terminals 12 and 1.3 between the member 5 and the straps 9. By removing the bolts 4, the switch 11 maybe operation on one side or the otherg'according to the service orinstallatlon requirements. a

It is often difficult or impossible to mount a switch having a centrally disposed rigid big that is adapted to screw upon a dependreadily placed so as to extend from either ing stud from the mine roof, by reason of the relatively great length of the switch and the difli-culty of turning the entire structure in cramped OnOthBIWlSB restricted positions.

Accordingly, I provide means for centrally suspending my sectionswitch, COIDPIISIIlg a nut or lug 16 having an annular lower flange 17 and an upwardly extending threaded recessed portion 18 for engagement with a stud depending from the mine roof (not shown).

A lug or member 19, disposed at the center of the upper edge or face of thexmember has downwardly extending portions 20 that embrace the member 5, by engagingthe side faces thereof, and are attached thereto by a bolt 21 which extends through a hole 28 in the member 5. An annular upperportion 22 of the member 19 embraces the flange 17 of the lug 16 which is thus held securely in position with respect to the switch structure, but which maybe rotated with respect-thereto-in securing it to its co-operating stud.

'When it is desirablet o support the member'5 at each end thereof, as shown in Fig.

' nular recessed upper portion 24 and a flat 3, lugs 23, eachfhaving a screw threaded anlower portion 25, may be provided. Horizontal slots 26'in the portions 25, permit longitudinal adjustment of the latter with respect to transverse bolts 27 that extend through holes 29 in the member 5 and the slots 26 to secure the lugs 23 rigidly to the member 5. "This longitudinal adjustment is very desirable by reason of thefact that it is not always possible toposition the copperatin mine roof studs a iven distance a vart z:

becausevof the nature ofthe' roof.

Tlie holes 28 and 29, through'whic hthe bolts 21 and27 ofthe lugs 19 and 23,respectively, extend, maybe all provided during the construction of the device, in whichcase, the latter may be adaptedfor ready mounting in either manner above described, or the desired holes may be drilled to permit the one or the other method of mounting. It is seen, however, that a switch is provided which permits, in a very simple and expeditious manner and without the aid of complicated or expensive extra parts, considerable latitude in the matter of positioning the'same.

Heretofore, stresses imparted to the insulating body member, similar to the memher 5, of such a switch, by trolley conductors, terminals, and bolts that extend therethrough, resulted in undue wear thereto and fraeture'thereof by reason of the ooncentra tion of such stresses between the bolts of relatively small diameter and the same.

Accordingly, I provide countersunk portions in the'members 5, adjacent to each of the lower ends of the bolts 3 and 4c, in which, a washerSO is disposed. The fiat peripheral edges of the washers 30 thus distribute the before-mentioned stresses over a considerable portion of themember 5'and prevent the deteriorating effect of concentrated stresses thereon; Obviously, the washers 30 may be integral p'arts of' the bolts 3 and land may body member, conducting members each secured, at one end, to one of said upwardly extending portions and extending along'the top of said 'body member, a switchi'member at the other end of each ofsaid conducting members, and bolts extending through said transverse openings for ]OlI1 1IIg sa dconducting members to the'said bottom portions of' said terminah members andsecuring said switch members in posltion.

2. A section switch COHIPIlSiHg a longitudinal'insulating body member having a tran's verse opening therein adjacent to one end" thereof, a trolley conductor terminal member at said-end, said terminal mem'b'er having an upwardly extending end. portion and a trolley-contact portioniextending along the bottom of said body member, :a. conducting member secured tosaidterminal member and extending alongthe'topof said body member to an intermediate point thereon,"a switch member connected to' said conducting member an'd a bolt extending through said transverse opening and connecting said conducting and said terminal members.

3. In a section switch- ,"the' combination with an insulating member, of a terminal device of substantially yoke shape havingitslegs disposed one above the other comprising a conducting member having a trolley'conductor-supporting portion, the bottom leg constituting a trolley-contact member and the upper leg constituting a terminal conductor for the switch, and a member joining said legs and attached to saidinsulating member.

4. In a section switch, the combination with an insulating member, of a terminal.

device of substantially yoke shape comprising a conducting member having a trolleyconductor-supporting portion, aleg constituting a trolley-contact member and a leg extending along thetop of said insulating member, a switch member engaging said top leg, and a member for securing said switch member in position and for attaching said terminal device to said insulating member.

5. In;- a section switch, the combination with an insulating member, of a terminal device of substantially yoke shape comprising a conducting member having a trolleyconductor-supporting portion, a leg constitut-ing a trolley-contact member and a leg extending along the top of said. insulating member, a bolt joining said legs and attached to said insulating member, and a member 00- operating with said bolt and having relatively broad surface engagement with the insulating member for effecting a relatively Wide distribution of stresses between said bolt and said insulating member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of Dec., 1917.

NILS J. A. WAHLBERG. 

